Family
by freddyburn
Summary: Mellissa never thought she would see the day she would have five sons, but it has arrived. Her "boys" are fast becoming her life, but a certain ex-husband may land something else on her lap!
1. Chapter 1

Family

How do you define a family? Mellissa McCall always thought that one was hard. Some say its blood and blood alone that made a family. But Mellissa was an ER nurse, and she had seen enough to convince her that blood relations were not always good relations, or a good foundation for family.

Some say it's the ties of affection and not blood—of love for another person, about caring for them and wanting to protect them and guide them.

Looking at it now, after everything that had happened, Mellissa thought it was a combination of the two. Blood and affection. How else could you explain her family as it stood now?

000

Scott was her baby boy. She had carried him for nine months, changed his nappies and raised him. She was tied to him by blood and affection, and he was her son in every way that mattered. He is family.

000

When Scott was five, Mellissa made him share his toys with a hyperactive boy who literally fell into their live—from the lowest limbs of the tallest tree in the playground. That was how they meet Stiles, and Mellissa sometimes doubted whether or not it was a good thing. But over the years, as she saw the happiness Stiles brought to Scott's life, and to her own, these doubts were washed away. It was fair to say that she loved this motor mouthed boy who was as hyper as a monkey on caffeine.

When Stiles was eight, his mother died. Mellissa found him having a panic attack- his first ever panic attack. She did what any woman who was both nurse and mother would do, he calmed him down and held him until his tears died away. He had kissed her on the cheek and thanked her quietly, and Mellissa knew she would look out for this boy no matter what.

When her husband left, taking their daughter with him, Mellissa was heartbroken. She didn't pay as much attention to the regular things—like meals, or whether Scott had his inhaler. But Stiles, now nine, was there to repay her for her kindness. He convinced his dad to bring take away so that Mellissa wouldn't have to cook. He was there to clean up. He asked for the spare inhaler for Scott, because he was forgetting his. Stiles carried it in his school bag, just in case Scott ever forgot his again, and Mellissa saw him as Scott's brother after that.

By the time the boys entered high school, Mellissa saw Stiles as her son. She didn't know when or how she started to think like this, but Stiles was in her house almost as much as he was at his own. He ate most of his meals here, and on occasion, she did his laundry.

Yes, it was fair to say that Stiles was her son. Maybe not by blood, but in every other way that Mellissa thought was important, he was. Stiles is family.

Scott and he were her boys.

000

Mellissa could never understand why anyone could be cruel to Isaac Lahey. The curly haired teen with the gentle smile was a gentleman. When Scott had come to ask her could he stay, all she had to do was take one look as his sopping wet curls and the plastic shopping bag with a t-shirt and pair of jeans, and she said yes. She didn't know why. Maybe it was the way Isaac had looked at her. It reminded her of the way Scott had looked when his dad and left, and how Stiles had looked when his mom had died—lost, alone and afraid. A kid who needed someone to wrap them in a warm hug and tell them everything would be ok, even when they knew it wasn't.

For the first week, Isaac was always at the door, ready to help with the shopping, to cook dinner, to hang up her keys. He cleaned up after himself, and when Mellissa picked up a sock he had dropped, she saw the fear flash behind his eyes, and she understood. It tore her up inside to realise what must have happened to create that much fear, and Mellissa swore that it would never happen under her roof. Her desire to protect and nurture Isaac increased when she found out that three family members- an aunt, an uncle and even a grandmother- had all refused to take Isaac (due, no doubt to his father's lies)- Mellissa filed paper work to become his legal guardian.

Mellissa work hard to make Isaac comfortable. That when she said "punishment," she didn't mean locking him in a fridge, but rather, making him do the dishes or was the car for a month. Maybe cutting his TV and Xbox time. Pretty soon, Isaac had carved a place for himself in Mellissa's heart.

Then, after the incident with _her _(Mellissa refused to use _her _name, not after been kidnapped and nearly sacrificed), after hugging Scott and Stiles, Mellissa realise she was looking for Isaac. As she pulled him into a tight hug, she realised that her "boys" now included Isaac. Scott treated Isaac the same way he treated Stiles- as a brother. Isaac was now family to Mellissa.

000

When Mellissa first meets Ethan and Aiden properly, Scott had told her their story. She didn't know what to make of the massive boys. They were big, intimidating, and they looked like two lost puppies. Almost like Isaac had that night in her hallway- both they and Isaac had lost their alphas, and while they might be alpha's themselves, they had never been independent. Even the way they looked at Scott for guidance reminded her of Isaac, and that should have raised alarms in her head. It looked like Scott was taking on the same role with them as he had with Isaac, in the beginning- mentor and friend.

Within a week, after she had heard that they were still minors and living in an abandoned warehouse, the twins were moved into her basement. There was enough room for both of them down there.

Mellissa was not a stupid woman; she could see that the same thing that had happened with both Stiles and Isaac was happening with the twins. She was getting involved because there was no one else to get involved. But she couldn't help herself. They were teenagers who needed guidance. The fact that they were werewolves made it all the more important. As an ER nurse, she had seen what happened to wayward teens that had no guidance, and given what a werewolf could do... Mellissa shivered. Anyway, Mellissa realised there was very little difference between teenage boys and werewolves. They just needed plenty of food, sleep and patience.

Before she knew it, Ethan and Aiden had joined Isaac in calling her "Momma McCall." Mellissa was startled to realise that her "boys" now numbered five, and that she didn't really care.

All of them needed to be loved and cared for, and Mellissa wanted provide that. She wanted to guide and protect them. She may only be related to one by blood, but he was related to the others in a way she couldn't really grasp. He was the Alpha of his own pack, and she needed to be there for him. If that made her "Pack Mother," as Stiles put it that was fine by her.

In the end, family was what you made of it. Related by blood, or related by love, family was family, and hers were five teenage boys who just needed a mother.

And occasionally a nurse!


	2. Chapter 2

Scott

She was his mother. End of story. He loved her, she loved him. She did everything a mother should do, and a lot of things a father should. Scott loved her.

As for Stiles? Their relationship was so old that the monkey was his brother; hands down the one guy Scott wanted with him whenever anything crazy was going on.

Pretty soon, Isaac found his way into Scott's life, and Scott's protective streak made him take care of the other boy. It was the same with Ethan and Aiden. It was a different route than the one he took with Stiles- what with them been werewolves- but soon, they too were pack, they were brothers.

Stiles

Stiles was five when he fell into the McCall lives- because he was distracted by Scott's hair. It was thick and bouncy and it looked windblown and fun to play with. While he didn't get to play with Scott's hair, he did get to play with his GI Joe, and Scott's mom smiled at him and bought him an ice cream. He loved her smile. And the way she took care of his grazed knee.

When his mom died, Stiles can't remember much about the aftermath- just a voice. Mrs. McCall's voice, soft and soothing, and then crying into her shoulder while her warm arms gently held him. Her arms felt like heaven to his broken heart. It was almost like having his mommy back again. When he had cried his eyes out, he had thanked her, and she had given him this look- a look his mommy always called "the mothers look of love." He never forgot that look.

When Mr. McCall left, Stiles knew something was up at Scott's house. He had come to school without his inhaler. He never did that, and even if he had forgotten it, his mom wouldn't have. She also wouldn't let him leave the house without his lunch. So Stiles did what Stiles did best—he went to his dad and talked. And talked. And talked. Finally, they brought take away and Stiles tidied up. Mrs. McCall did it again. She gave him "the mothers look of love," and Stiles felt a piece of his heart mend.

By the time they reached High School, Scott and Stiles had an understanding. "My mother" was Stiles' biological mother, and she was rarely talked about. "Mom" was Scott's mother, and she was frequently talked about- mainly to complement her cooking or the like. Stiles couldn't figure out when they began to talk like this, but it felt right. As far as Stiles knew, Mrs. McCall fit every requirement for a mom, and Scott was his best buddy, his brother, the one guy he knew he could always trust.

Isaac, Ethan and Aiden? Yeah, their relationship started out rocky, but when he saw how loyal they were to Scott, and how much they loved Mrs. McCall, he opened up to them, and he found himself dragged into a pack of werewolves with no regrets. He loved them all.

Isaac

Isaac couldn't really remember his mother, and his dad had always seemed to be the man who locked him in a fridge. When Isaac found himself standing in Scott's hallway, he was terrified of what his mother would say, so when she smiled at him and got a room ready, to say he was bewildered at her kindness would be an understatement. The longer he stayed, the more bewildered he got. He was confused as to why she was being so kind to him. Why wasn't she punishing him? Why wasn't she locking him in a fridge?

It took him a while to realise that that wasn't how she worked. She was like Scott- kind and loving. She smiled easily and quickly. She was kind and patient, and soon Isaac found himself loving her. When he found out that she had applied to become his legal guardian, he felt like screaming in joy. He hugged her, and nearly broke down crying. It had been a long time since someone had been so kind to him. For the first time in years, Isaac found himself using the word "Mom."

Scott was his Alpha now, and Stiles was a friend, and both were his brothers. There was no other way to describe their relationship.

Isaac still felt his head spin sometimes at how quick the word "family" came up, but he knew it was true.

Ethan and Aiden? Sure, they had done some crazy things, but if been part of the McCall family had taught him one things, it was that when wayward kids could be helped, they should be helped. How else do you explain Isaac himself? So when they moved in, and their pack began to form, Isaac wasn't surprised when the word family was thrown around again. They were pretty cool guys- when they weren't attacking you.

Ethan and Aiden

Ethan and Aiden came from a family of werewolves. Both their parents were werewolves from family of werewolves. After their parents had divorced, neither pack wanted them- that's why they were omegas. The twins hadn't seen their real mother since they were thirteen. She had dropped them off at their fathers, and then run off and to her family pack. For a year, they lived in misery with their fathers pack, that is, until Deucalion showed up. He showed them how to merge their forms, and promised them a better life. So they did what he asked, killed the savages that had tortured them, and found themselves as Alpha's. They thought that they would be happy, but they soon realised that was a joke, that they were just as expendable and worthless in Deucalion's "sight" as they were to their father. They were just trophies.

Then they had found the McCall's. Scott was kind and patient. He showed them how to control the instincts they had trouble with. He is there to listen to them and he settles their disagreements fairly. He didn't try to turn them against each other, as Deucalion had been trying to do. Slowly, they found themselves becoming loyal to him, willingly joining his pack, and they found rich rewards for it. They found an Alpha who had earned his rank and made them feel better for been Alpha's themselves.

There was the motor mouth, Stiles, who could always make them laugh, who showed them that he was willing to let go of the past and give them a second chance because Scott was willing to do so. He showed them what friendship could be like. They bonded over their love of movies and video games.

Then there was Isaac, who showed them that there were people who understood what it was like to have a bad father. Isaac was willing to give them a second chance because he knew what it was like to try and please someone, even if that person was bad for you. They bonded with Isaac over their similar shitty backgrounds.

Then there was Momma McCall. To say they love her would be an understatement. They adored her. For the first time since their mother left, they found someone who was everything a good mother should be, who gave them hugs, and gave them wise words of advice to guide them through life. After a month living in her house, they woke up one morning, and without even thinking they called her mom. When it was pointed out to them, they realised it was the truth. Their wolf selves told them it was. She was mom. Scott was both Alpha and brother. Isaac and Stiles were pack and brothers, and Ethan and Aiden were content.

000

Dinner at the McCall's was a fun affair. With Mellissa and five teenage boys all trying to cram around a table built for four, people got elbowed, poked and prodded regularly- especially with Ethan and Aidan about. Those two would take up a side and a half a piece if they could. But no one complained. They did their best to make room for one another, and they had bonded quickly, their pack dynamic evolving quickly due to the shared living quarters.

Mellissa learned quickly that despite their ferocious nature, werewolves were actually very affectionate creatures with those they loved. At first, it was most apparent with Ethan and Aidan, particularly now that they were free of the Alpha Pack. An arm around the waist and a quick hug, lightly brushing their fingers together, all to assure one another that the other was ok. Over the month that the twins were living with her, as the pack accepted their roles, it became more evident that the others were becoming as affectionate with each other as Ethan and Aidan were with each other. Scott ruffling Isaac's hair, or an arm slung over Stiles' shoulder. Isaac giving Stiles a one armed 'man-hug,' or the pack squashing themselves together on movie night, even though there was a lot of room on the living room floor, finding solace in their proximity to one another. It was a fun event to see them "puppy pile" Stiles whenever he came around.

Eventually, their affection for Mellissa began to reveal itself. The twins and Isaac went from calling her "Momma McCall" to simply "Mom." They never gave her hugs outright, but she knew what they wanted when they would stand beside her with large, pleading eyes, and Mellissa was happy to provide.

Then a burglar broke in and threatened Mellissa with a knife. The boys were out of their rooms and in the kitchen before the man could finish threatening her- fangs and fur out, all of them snarling at the man who wet his pants and ran out the door. According to the Sheriff, the man had come running through the door of the station, sobbing as he confessed to numerous burglaries around the town. The Sheriff had to send the man for a psychiatric consultation.

After that incident it was Mellissa's turn to be "puppy piled." The following morning, she woke up to find herself in a tangle of arms and legs. None of the pack had let her sleep alone in her room that night, and had somehow managed to crawl into her bed without waking her up. The reason? To make sure "you were ok mom."

000

Agent McCall would win no father of the year awards. At least when it came to Scott. He knew that. He accepted that. He was at peace with that. But maybe he could do something for his daughter. She needed a mother. It was foolish of him to have taken her away. She had gone off to college and had gotten herself into some very, ahem, un-lady like scenarios lately, and he didn't know how to cope. Mellissa would know how to handle it. After all, it was her wild streak that had drawn him to her in the first place, and it was obvious from the start that was better suited to being a parent. That's why he had come to talk to Mellissa. It had been over a month since she and the Sheriff had reappeared from their disappearing act, enough time for them to explain why things had happened- not that he believed the official explanation.

Boisterous laughter from the rear of the house brought him from the front door. At first, he thought he had the wrong house, what with the massive, shirtless twins lounging on the porch and the curly haired boy bringing out chilled cokes. He was about to ask them did they know where the McCall's had moved to when Stiles and Scott came out the back door. Stiles was immediately drawn onto the lap of one of the twins and was firmly told "you are wrong about that thing."

"Get off me Aiden," Stiles grumped. "Major Kong riding the bomb from Dr. Strangelove is THEE best movie death of all time!"

Everyone laughed when Stiles stuck out his tongue at the bigger boy. When the laughter died down, Scott asked "What do you want dad?"

Agent McCall's heart skipped a beat. How had he known he was there? There was no way Scott could have seen him. He stepped into the light.

"Is your mother around?"

"She'll be home in about five minutes, why?"

"We gotta talk. Do you mind if I wait?" he said to Scott.

It wasn't really a question, as he was already sitting down, and none of the assembled teens seemed to like it. Maybe it was his hearing, but he was sure they growled.

"Yeah, we mind," Scott said, with a heavy emphasis on the we.

"Well, this is family business we have to discuss," Agent McCall said.

"Ring mom, make an appointment," one of the twins said, and Agent McCall was surprised at the mom part. He knew Mellissa was fostering some kids, but he thought calling her "mom" was a bit much.

"Oh, I think she'll want to hear what I say, appointment or no."

000


	3. Chapter 3

Adrianna McCall stuck her nose out the window and inhaled deeply. The smell of pine and fresh air filled her senses and she exhaled in pleasure. The smell felt so good, so different from Los Angeles. This was the perfect place to manage her new _condition_. So much open space and wooded area. Better out there than, in a forest, than in a city. There was very little chance of her hurting someone out here. She closed her eyes as her mind drifted back to that night. The dark shape materialising out of the alley, the sharp pain in her side where the figure had bitten her. The following morning, the bite mark had gone. Adrianna was scared, she didn't know what was happening. Her senses seemed to heighten—hearing, smell, taste. How could she explain that to her father? Whenever he asked her what was wrong, she told him it was "woman issues." Nothing makes a man back down like those two words.

A month later, a woman walked into the coffee shop where Adrianna worked and introduced herself as Vickie. Vickie told her she knew what had happened to her the month before. She knew all about the strange things that were happening to her. The heightened senses and the increase in appetite and how her asthma had cleared up and she no longer needed an inhaler. She told her she could help with her "transformation." Adrianna had laughed at her, thinking she was mad. Transformation? Caused by the full moon? Vickie was clearly insane. But later, as the moon rose, Adrianna had felt it. Something wild and primal wanting to escape. Adrianna had come to her senses the following morning in the hills, right by the Hollywood sign. Vickie was several yards away, sitting on the hood of a pearl grey BMW, munching an apple. After that, Adrianna began to believe her crazy stories, and was soon included into Vickie's "pack."

They had scared her, Vickie's pack. So wild and bloodthirsty and totally uncaring for their family until they "proved" themselves. They were more than a pack. They were a family, with a lineage stretching back several centuries, and Vickie had abandoned her sons at thirteen and would not contact them until they "proved themselves worthy." In other words, until they gave into the bloodlust. Adrianna refused to believe that what she had become couldn't be controlled, or that she had to live like Vickie and her family, dedicated to nothing but the hunt.

Adrianna was brought out of her musings by her father's voice.

"We will be in Beacon Hills in twenty minutes. You excited about seeing Scott again?" he asked.

"Yes," Adrianna practically squealed, which was most unlike her. She was usually more reserved and controlled around her father. Best not to let him see her wild, devil may care streak, or let the world see just how emotional she got. But it was the truth; she was excited to see her baby brother again. She wondered how much he had changed. The last time she had seen him, he had been a cute nine year old with dimples, and with Stiles hovering in the background. That was the image she had of him- a sweet little boy, who loved to smile, giving hugs, play video games with Stiles. She didn't look at the photos her mother sent on a yearly basis, in case they would ruin the image. How had the years changed him? How had _puberty _changed him?

000

They arrived earlier than expected. With her advanced hearing, Adrianna could tell her mother was alone in the house. Her father had told her that her mom had become the foster mother to three orphaned boys. Adrianna admired her for that, for playing mother to three kids who had no one else. Her father had planned it that way, so that Adrianna and her mother could bond again after so many years without a host of teenage boys "drooling over her" (or so her father had told her step mother. Sometimes Adrianna loved her advanced hearing).

She was distracted from her thoughts by a familiar scent in the air- something familiar, something, possibly, canine? Maybe there was a dog on the street? Adrianna didn't get to ponder this scent much further, as the front door opened and she found herself nearly blown back by two more familiar scents. One was her moms deodorant (she never wore perfume unless she was going on a night out), and the second was the smell of her mother's special double choc-chip cookies. Adrianna's stomach rumbled at the memory of the buttery, chocolaty goodness. Before her senses could adjust, she found herself in a warm embrace as her mother's arms closed around her. She returned the embrace happily.

When they pulled apart, Adrianna examined her mother. She didn't look much different than the last time Adrianna remembered seeing her. Maybe a few more crow's feet around the eyes and creases on her forehead, but other than that, there was no change. And when her mother smiled at her, Adrianna hated her fourteen year old self for ever leaving because her father had found a fashion model as a girlfriend. (She was ten years younger than her mother and looked five years older due to her "health regime.") But that didn't seem to matter to her mother now.

000

Adrianna stared in disbelief at the photos of her brother. _This _was her baby brother? He didn't look sixteen. He looked older, more mature than half the guys in many of her college classes. But the smile was the same, and the eyes, and the boy next to him. True, Stiles had shot up in height, and his cheeks had lost the softness of youth, but there was no hiding the manic energy in his eyes, even in a photo. Adrianna let her eyes drift over the other photos on the mantel piece. Scott and Stiles sitting on the hood of a jeep. Scott and Stiles in their lacrosse gear. Scott and Stiles fixing a bike (well, Scott fixing a bike. Stiles was hanging from the rafters). Scott with a bald black man, while Stiles pulled a face behind them.

Then there were other photos. Scott with a curly haired boy. Stiles having his hair ruffled by identical twins. Then there was a photo of her mom sitting on the couch with the four boys sitting on the floor in front of her. As she stared at the photo's, she was vaguely aware of her parents talking behind her. Something about "the boys" being at tryouts for the new football team. Part of Adrianna's mind noted the affection with which her mom used the phrase "the boys." She hardly hear a jeep and motor bike pull up, she was so busy drinking in the photos.

Then she snapped to attention. The smell, the canine smell, was back. Werewolves. At least four of them. The front door banged open, a voice cried "Mom, we're home," but Adrianna wasn't listening. She fought to keep her wolf in check as she threw herself in front of her parents. God damn Vickie, she wouldn't take Adrianna's parents from her.


	4. Chapter 4

Adrianna flew into the hallway, slamming the door behind her. It wouldn't do much good against Vickie though. From the living room, she heard her mother tell her father to "let them get reacquainted in private," and Adrianna was thankful for that. If Vickie had shown up... only, it wasn't Vickie. It was Scott. Her baby brother was standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear, and the smell of a werewolf rolled off him in thick waves. Still smiling, he practically sprang forward, wrapping her in a massive hug, and for a moment, Adrianna forgot the smell as Scott's massive biceps bulged against her side. Then Adrianna remembered the smell, and she stiffened, and Scott pulled back, his smile fading as his nostrils flared and he started to look confused. Then realisation dawned on his face. Adrianna was starting to back away, muttering "No, not you, not you." Her wolf told her to flea as three of the four figures behind Scott began to growl. Adrianna didn't stay long enough to see how they fell silent when Scott raised his hand. She was already running out the back door.

000

Adrianna slid down the bark of a pine tree, panting. She sat on the ground, trying to catch her breath and to sort through what had just happened. How could this have happened? She had come to Beacon Hills to get away from things like this, and now to find her baby brother was a werewolf? And not only him, but the three boys her mother was fostering as well? She felt tears well up in her eyes, and she choked back a sob.

Scott, sweet loving Scott with the big smile and soft eyes a bloodthirsty killer? She was about the break down when she heard someone approaching. Actually, a lot of people, and in the distance, a jeep. From over the brow of the ridge above her, four figures bounded over it and towards her. One gave a signal, and three stopped. One slowed to a walk and approached her. It was Scott. He hadn't wolfed out, and the long run hadn't seemed to faze him. He sat down beside her gently, but didn't speak. Nothing was said for a few minutes, and Adrianna examined the three other boys. She frowned as she remembered how they had held back at her brother's command. Soon, Stiles came bounding over the ridge, panting, and he collapsed onto one of the twins, who wrapped an arm around him and supported him without even noticing. Adrianna took a deep sniff. Stiles was still human.

"How long?" she asked.

"A little over a year," Scott answered.

"How..." Adrianna began.

"A long story," Scott replied.

"And them?" she asked, waving a hand at the assembled teens watching them.

"Another long story. Best we do it later. Dad was freaking out when we left, and we don't need any attention to our nocturnal activity," Scott replied.

Adrianna gave a huff.

"I don't think I can run all the way back," she said sheepishly.

One of the twins guffawed.

"Why do you think we keep the monkey man and his jeep around?" he laughed, playfully prodding Stiles.

"And I always thought it was because you had a thing for me Ethan," Stiles grinned.

The boy, Ethan, pulled Stiles up into his arms, where Stiles fought to get free.

"Nah," Ethan said, pulling Stiles closer, "I prefer Danny. Much more filled out."

All the boys in the clearing were laughing at this spectacle, and in defeat, Stiles stopped struggling and let Ethan carry him towards the ridge, muttering all the while. He actually looked comfortable in Ethan's arms, as if being carried was a regular occurrence. Adrianna watched in both fascination and confusion. From her time with Vickie, she knew this wasn't how werewolves acted. Vickie and her pack would either have turned Stiles or torn him apart for even being near them. This wasn't right, it wasn't natural. Or was it? Scott was still chuckling as he held out a hand to Adrianna.

"Is... is Stiles ok with them? They won't harm him?" Adrianna asked as Scott helped her up. Scott howled with laughter, and Adrianna could hear the other wolves join in.

"H-hurt Stiles?" Scott choked. He laughed again.

"No," he finally answered. "He's totally fine. Stiles is our pack brother. None of us will hurt him. We love him too much."

Adrianna felt her head swim as she followed Scott over the ridge. A human safe in the presence of werewolves? A human a pack brother to a werewolf? A human having the love and affection of a werewolf? What was going on in Beacon Hills?

000

Agent McCall had finally left, but Adrianna still felt apprehensive. She was in a sitting room, with two humans and four werewolves. Where was the violence? Where was the bloodshed? Stiles and her mom should be dead by now. At first, with the incident in the woods, she had thought Scott and his buddies were putting on a show that would end as soon as her dad left the house. But no, it hadn't ended. If anything, the affection between both the werewolves themselves and the werewolves and humans seemed to increase. The feeling of, well, love, between everyone in the room was almost tangible.

Then came the shocker. Adrianna had assumed that the show would finally end when the packs alpha showed up. Then the wolves had gotten into a wrestling match. Then, the twins got into an argument over an "illegal move" and both their eyes had flashed red. Adrianna was convinced that they were joint alpha's of the pack, until, to her (almost heart stopping) shock, Scott's eyes had flashed red, and the twins bowed their heads, submitting to him, and followed his instructions. Adrianna gulped.

000

The boys had gone to bed. They had wanted to help Mellissa with the washing up, but Mellissa wanted to talk with Adrianna. Apparently, Isaac, the curly haired one, had given up his room for her and he was bunking with the twins. Finally, when all the dishes were dried and put away and the small talk was over, Adrianna decided to ask a question that had being burning her all night.

"So, mom, do you know what Scott gets up to?"

"You mean his monthly issues? God, that's a phrase I never thought I would use in relation to my son or any man."

"So, you know that he and the guys are..."

"You mean werewolves? Yes, I know," Mellissa said, sitting down.

Adrianna didn't know what to say. Mellissa smiled at her.

"Trust me, they are good kids. Tomorrow is Saturday. That means cartoons and Xbox for most of the day. As good a time as any to get to know them. And a good place to meet the rest of the pack."

'There are more?' Adrianna thought in amazement.


	5. Chapter 5

Adrianna and her mother sat up late that night and just talked. For the first time in years, Adrianna felt that she had someone she could confide in. She told her mom things that not even her father or step mother knew. Her first boyfriend. Her first kiss. Her first crush. Things that Adrianna felt that a daughter should only share with her mother. Finally, she asked: "Mom, you know about me? About why I returned?"

"You mean that you are a werewolf?" Mellissa asked.

Adrianna nodded and Mellissa smiled.

"I guessed. Some of the things your father said, about your behaviour the last few months. Then there was the way you acted when Scott and the boys came in. And we can't forget the text Stiles sent me."

"How fast can that kid text?" Adrianna asked in amazement.

Mellissa laughed.

"Very quick," Mellissa smiled. "Time to get to bed. I have work in the morning, and you have to deal with five hyperactive boys and three of their significant others."

"So, Scott has a girlfriend?"

"He had. They broke up. They are still friends, but Allison is dating Isaac now," Mellissa answered.

"Wait, so Scott's ex-girlfriend is dating a member of his pack? And Scott hasn't hurt Isaac?" Adrianna asked in amazement. With Vickie's pack, that would have meant an all out brawl to the death. Her mom gave her this look, a look Adrianna knew was going to led to something. Her mom sat down beside her and took her hand.

"Listen sweet heart, I don't know what type of pack you were with, but I do know people. For all the fangs and fur and the once a month transformations, werewolves are still people. I know enough about people to know that there are three types of people. There those who love violence. Yes, they are nice and charming and know how to hide their true selves from the public, but underneath, it's all about the blood and guts, the damage they can do to people and how much power and influence they can harvest. They relish the transformation because they can hide behind it. They can blame the wolf for all the damage they do, despite the fact they enjoy it and they want it. They ignore the other aspects of their wolf side that is not compatible with their views. The affectionate and love that a wolf has for their pack mates. They don't care about it, so they suppress it."

"Then there are those who beat themselves up. Who go on a guilt trip for every little thing and who let themselves become crippled by it, and they don't grow as people due to the anxiety and the fact that they wallow in self pity. They are scared of the wolf and don't see the benefits it can bring," her mom said, still holding her hand.

"But there is a third type of person. Those who struggle to find a balance, to integrate the best aspects of both their human and wolf and use it to help others. Those who don't give into the violence and don't let it dominate their lives, but want to be better people. They feel the guilt for the damage they do, but they don't let it rule their lives. They use it as a reminder, as an aid to help them evolve into someone better, not something worse. It's a harder path than the other two, but it's a better path. The question is which person are you? Because if you are the third type of person, there are people here to help you."

With that, and a kiss to the forehead, Adrianna was left to her own thoughts.

000

The following morning, Adrianna was woken by the sounds of the shower and laughter. She staggered sleepily to the hallway to find Ethan and Aiden in their underwear, pounding on the bathroom door, telling Isaac to "hurry is fuzzy butt up." Adrianna licked her lips. Scott came out of his room laughing, fully dressed but with damp hair, and rolled his eyes at the scene. When Ethan and Aiden noticed her, they didn't seem embarrassed. They just grinned.

"Welcome to your first morning at the mad house," they said together, throwing an arm over her shoulders. She wriggled out from under the tree trunks and wrinkled her nose, then began pounding the bathroom door herself.

"Isaac, hurry up, two sweaty boys out here," she yelled. Scott laughed and threw his own arm around her.

"You'll fit right in here sis," he said.

000

Breakfast was an interesting affair, especially when Stiles came sliding through the kitchen window.

"You do know the front door was open, right?" Adrianna asked. Stiles glanced around and shrugged.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked as he snatched a piece of toast out of Scott's hand and munched it down. Scott growled playfully.

"I really should rip your throat out with my teeth," he growled.

Stiles swallowed.

"You are beginning to sound like the sourwolf," he grinned.

"The sourwolf?" Adrianna asked.

"I think it's time I told you my story," Scott said.

000

Two hours later, Scott finished his story, and Adrianna let out a blast of air.

"Wow," she said. "So, Derek and Cora left?"

"Yep," Stiles said.

"And no one knows where," Isaac piped up.

"But Peter is still wandering around, planning something," Scott added.

"While the Sheriff has sent out an APB on Deucalion, saying he is a suspect in several murders," Ethan and Aiden finished.

They lapsed into silence for a while, until the front door opened and two girls and a boy trooped in. They paused when they saw Adrianna at the table.

"Hey guys, this is my sister, Adrianna," Scott smiled, and he introduced Adrianna to the newcomers.

There was a dark haired beauty, Allison, Isaacs current (and Scott's former) girlfriend. She was pleasant, in a reserved sort of way, but she soon eased up after a few minutes. There was a strawberry blond named Lydia, who Adrianna thought eclipsed everyone in the room (and judging by the looks on Stiles' face, she wasn't alone in that). She was dating Aiden, and she made herself at home on his lap. Then there was the guy, Danny. Adrianna eyed him up. Why had all the guys in Beacon Hill have to be drop dead gorgeous? Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head when Scott told her that he was dating Ethan. The minute they got into the sitting room, Ethan and he were sitting side by side holding hands.

They had a very pleasant evening together. For the first time since she had received the bite, Adrianna found herself relaxing in a group without fearing she would attack anyone. Everyone was so comfortable in each other's company. Even though there were humans in the room, there was evidently no danger to them. They were not just friends to the pack, they were an extension of the pack, they _were _the pack, and Adrianna realised that she had a lot to learn about been a werewolf.


	6. Authors Note

Authors Note

The next chapter will have the pack finding out about Adrianna's past and how she became a werewolf. Other people's secrets may be revealed.

Also, if you remember earlier chapters, I talked about the "boys" trying out for the newly formed football team. Since I'm Irish, I have very little knowledge of American Football, outside what I see in movies and what I can get from Wikipedia. It's not just something I threw in on a whim; it will play a part in future chapters- either in an away game or while they are on the way home from a game. What I need is not a breakdown on the positions et al. I am curious as to what positions you, the reader; believe the guys should play in?

Next chapter will also have an appearance by the Sheriff, more Momma McCall love and, if I am reading my notes right, something about curly fries, Stiles, and Stiles acting like a four limbed octopus!


	7. Chapter 7

Adrianna put the chilled glass of water against her forehead and sighed. Her head hadn't spun with so much new information since she had started college. She leaned against the fridge and listened to the sounds of Sponge Bob Square Pants from the living room. She used this time to organise her thoughts. She was trying to figure it all out, and how to tell everyone her story, when she heard three sets of footsteps enter the room. She opened her eyes to find Allison, Lydia and Danny waiting in the door. She smiled at them. There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, then Lydia said "How about we all sit down and have a quick chat. The guys will be engrossed for a while. Stiles is after producing the newest game for the Xbox!"

"At your insistence," Danny said, throwing a longing look over his shoulder.

"Well, go join them. Like I told Scott, this will be mostly a girly chat," Lydia said, smiling.

Danny bounded into the living room, and through the slowly shutting door, Adrianna saw him settle down happily beside Ethan as the credits to a very violent video game started up. When the door had stopped swinging, Lydia smiled up at Adrianna and patted the chair between her and Allison. She took it reluctantly. Even before she became a werewolf, Adrianna never liked to feel hemmed in.

"So, what's on your mind?" Allison asked.

"Just mulling over the story Scott and they guys told me this morning. You know, about how Scott became a werewolf and everything up until I arrived."

"Mmmmm, I can see how that can be a bit much to take in," Lydia said.

"So, you really are a banshee?" Adrianna asked.

"So I'm told. Real pain being able to find dead bodies and not knowing how you found them," Lydia said.

"Much better finding them than being the one who made them a corpse in the first place," Adrianna shivered.

"That ever happen to you?" Allison asked, and Adrianna remembered what Scott had told her about Allison's family.

"No, thankfully. But a few stories I saw on the news, about murders around LA, I knew they were werewolf related. It's part of my story, the one I'll tell everyone when they are not so engrossed in their game."

"It'll be a while," Allison said. "We've found it's best to let them vent their frustration through playing a game then to let it build up."

"Defiantly. And they are so much more, how should I put it, more fun," Lydia said, smiling, and Adrianna got the feeling she didn't mean in group activities.

"Really Lydia?" Allison asked, cocking an eyebrow. "You have to bring that up?"

"Oh come on, it's not like you and Isaac haven't been scooting around it for a few weeks. And I know you and Scott were very energetic in your biology study sessions," Lydia winked.

Allison was about to retort when Adrianna held up a hand.

"No offence, but I really don't need to hear about my little brothers sex life," she said, getting up.

Adrianna pushed her way into the living room, and over the din of the video game, she swore she heard Allison saying to Lydia "Something is bothering her. Something big."

000

Two hours later and the Sheriff arrived- carrying a large bag of burgers and curly fries, with more in his cruiser. Isaac and Aiden practically sprinted from the room. The Sheriff seemed like a nice man, and he chatted amicable as he set out the food. Adrianna found herself laughing at his lame jokes as she wondered how the pack could get through so much food. He must have caught her expression, because he chuckled and stage whispered "Each of the wolves can put away at least two pounds of burger patties, if not more." Most of the humans chuckled, the wolves only grunted as they devoured the food.

"Remember guys, you owe me," the Sheriff said as he walked out the door. He got another grunt in response.

"You guys need to work on your manners," Lydia said a few minutes later, as she fixed her lipstick.

"We have great manners," Aiden piped up.

"So is that why you are eating Stiles' curly fries?" Lydia smirked. Aiden gave her a startled look, with several centimetres of curly fries sticking out of his mouth.

"So that's where they went," Stiles yelled, glaring at Aiden, who shrugged and winked.

Stiles charged him, jumped and wrapped his arms and legs around him, before ducking his head in and biting off the end of the fries that were poking out of his mouth. Adrianna stared dumfounded as Aiden, and everyone else in the room, didn't react. Stiles was clinging to Aiden like a four limbed octopus and had eaten food out of his mouth and everyone was acting like it was normal. Admittedly, it was Stiles' food, but eating food out of a werewolves mouth without been mauled? Adrianna suspected that it could have been staged in order to show her that werewolves were not always hostile, but then again, even after the little display, Aiden didn't seem to find the fact that Stiles was still clinging to him. In fact, Stiles was using his legs and one hand to cling to Aiden, while with his free hand, he stuffed fries into his mouth until he couldn't fit any more, then began to chew, as if he was trying to taunt the wolf.

"Um, Lydia," she whispered, pointing at the scene when she got the other girls attention.

"Oh, that's normal. At least for Stiles," she said, and then went back to picking at her own fries.

000

When her mom came home that night, Adrianna felt she had gotten to know the pack very well. The boys at least. Allison and Lydia were still a bit guarded with her. Maybe they felt threatened about having another girl around. Or maybe it was the fact that she was a wolf that they didn't know; the jury was still out on that. While the boys snoozed off their mid afternoon feast, Adrianna made her mother a cup of tea, then went to wake Scott. It was a challenge, but she eventually got him to stagger into the kitchen. She wanted to talk to them about something.

"Mom, can we talk?" she asked them.

"Of course," her mother responded as she added some honey to her tea as Scott nodded.

"Ethan and Aiden, how much do you know about their past?" she asked.

"Abandoned by their mother at thirteen, lived with their father until they were fourteen, then with Deucalion for a while," Scott summed up. "Why?"

"Their mother, her name wouldn't be Vickie, would it? A bloodthirsty wolf?"

Scott and her mom exchanged looks.

"That sounds like the woman we were told about," her mom said slowly.

Adrianna let her story flood out. Everything that had happened since she had received the bite. Vickie, her pack, Vickie's stories about her teenage twin boys that she had abandoned until they were ready, everything.

"So, what do we tell everyone?" Adrianna asked, almost feeling guilty about burdening Scott and her mom with the news.

"Ethan and Aiden have a right to know. If Vickie wants you as part of her pack, she may follow you, and her turning up here without them knowing will be bad for them," Scott said.

"Agreed," Mellissa said, nodding. "But we have too..."

Her sentence was drown out by the sound of the living room door flying off its hinges, then banging coming from the basement. Isaac crept into the kitchen, looking scared.

"Um, Ethan and Aiden kind of overheard your conversation, they merged and went down into the basement," he said sheepishly. Scott's eyes immediately flashed red and he went to make for the door, but Mellissa held his arm.

"Come down after me," she said.

"Mom..." Scott began.

"Trust me."

000

Mellissa still wasn't used to the twins in their merged form, but she still walked towards the rapidly moving figure that was busy packing suitcases.

"Boys, what do you think you are doing?" she asked in her best 'no nonsense mother voice.'

"Packing," they said.

"Why?"

"If Vickie come, Vickie hurt pack mother and pack if we here."

They must be worried. Their speech was garbled.

"She'll hurt us if you are here or not. You told us what she is like. 'Join her or die,' remember?" Mellissa asked.

Ethan/Aiden turned to face her.

"No want to hurt pack or pack mother," they said.

Mellissa marched up to them, took their head in her hands and kissed their forehead.

"You'll hurt everyone, including me, a lot more if you leave. You are my boys, and I love you. If you leave, Vickie has already won because she is taking something from you, and what's worse, she made you give it up willingly without being anywhere near you," Mellissa whispered.

"She hurt pack..." Ethan/Aiden began.

"Whether you are here or not. And the pack will be happier with you here," Mellissa finished.

By this time, Ethan/Aiden had slid to the floor, and Mellissa rested their head on her lap, stroking their hair. At the top of the stairs, Scott and Isaac nodded their agreement.

"If she comes for you?" they asked.

"Oh my dear, sweet boys. You obviously don't know how painful a blunt syringe can be."


	8. Chapter 8

It took Mellissa a while to get the twins to unmerge, but eventually, they were fast asleep. With a sigh, she went upstairs to find that Scott had made her a cup of tea. It was colder than she would like, but warm enough to take her mind off what had happened for a moment or two. She leaned back against the fridge. Silently, she wondered what she had gotten herself in for with so many wolves running around.

000

The following morning, she was still worried about the twins. But now, it wasn't about the fact that they were in her house. She was worried that their mother might show up and harass them. Another part of her mind shot back _'but you are their mother.' _Mellissa tensed for a second, wondering where that thought had come from. She didn't care though. She hummed as she put another sausage on to cook. They were her boys, she reasoned. She could handle Vickie. She hoped. She sighed and went into the hall.

"Get your butt's in motion, breakfast is almost done," she hollered.

She was just sliding the last sausage onto a plate when Adrianna came into the room, rubbing a towel on her wet hair.

"How do you put up with four sweaty boys?" she grumped at her mother. Mellissa laughed.

"I'm a nurse, honey. I've smelled things that are a lot worse. Trust me; you don't want to deal with a drunk who had slept in a dumpster for three days with no toilet facilities."

Adrianna made a face like she was going to puke.

"That is the general reaction," Mellissa informed her.

Another few minutes passed before Isaac and Scott came trooping in. They didn't speak. They just inhaled their breakfasts. Mellissa would have told them to have manners, but it was pointless at this time of the morning. She glanced at her watch. She began counting down under her breath.

"Five, four, three, two, one," she breathed, and then Stiles came sliding through the window.

"Hey, Mrs. McCall," he said, throwing his arms around her.

"Top of the oven, the one with the extra mushrooms," she informed him with a smile.

"Yummy," Stiles said.

Eventually, Ethan and Aiden came in, looking a little sheepish. They didn't make eye contact. She placed the two largest plates in front of them when they sat down and kissed the top of their heads.

"Thanks mom," they mumbled with their eyes downcast.

Everyone was watching her, waiting. They were trying not to be obvious about it. Mellissa smiled and ruffled the twin's hair.

"What's a mother for?" she asked

000

It was a busy day at the hospital, and Mellissa was glad her shift was almost over. Truthfully, she was tired of the new nurses she had to train in. Scott and the pack were easier to keep in line. Mellissa had just poured herself a cup of coffee when Doctor Delancy stuck his head around the door of the nurse's office.

"Nurse McCall, Doctor Deaton is here for his shots. Would you mind giving them to him? I've got a Sheriff's Deputy waiting on a physical."

Mellissa sighed and walked into an examination room. Dr. Deaton was humming softly to himself. They didn't speak until Mellissa was finished.

"About that thing you asked me about?" Dr. Deaton said. "I've gotten word back."

Mellissa's eyes flashed upwards.

"And?" she asked.

"Vickie Hara is currently in Forks, Washington. Something about recruiting, according to her emissary. She has heard about what has happened in Beacon Hills. She will be making her way here soon if her attempts to recruit some of the Native Americans near Forks doesn't work," Dr. Deaton said.

"Why would she be trying to recruit them?" Mellissa asked.

"I can find out. I'll pass the information along to Scott."


End file.
